So there I was today, first piano lesson of 2008. Conversation went approximately as follows:

Piano teacher: Remind me, have you done Grade VIII piano?
Me: No
Piano teacher: How do you feel about doing it?
Me: Um, yes, er, well, OK.

So it looks like I might be doing Grade VIII piano

Looking at the syllabus, I've already got quite alot of the music from lists A and B (Bach P&F on list A, both Mozarts and Beethovens on list B), but nothing on list C. Does anyone have any particular recommendations from list C?

Are there any other watchpoints for any of the pieces? For example, I suspect that the Rachmaninov has large stretches (so there goes most of this being demonstrated in my lessons!), but all thoughts on the current list C welcome.

Or I might just buy the book and pick one at random

I really like the Grieg Notturno, the Chopin and the Gershwin

hello,
Grieg's Nocturne is really nice (C13)- It's not too hard, but does have a few quaver against triplet sections, which take a little getting used to.
Albeniz's de la caleta is ok (C7)
and i think C5 is ok, but i cant remember if it's C5 or not, sorry.

Jacob.

That's roughly how I finished up going for grade 8.
Though my "Um, yes, er, well, OK" was something like "If I'm ever ready".
The trouble with these rather wooly answers is that teachers interpret them as "Yes, of course, I'm bursting with enthusiasm".

The correct response is "In your Dreams!"

is the Ravel Minuet on this list or was that the old list? (meaning the one from his Sonatine)

that is a beautiful piece- not too difficult either.

Turina - Vals Romantico

My first lesson with my current teacher started with me saying I wanted to do a Diploma, or even beyond, but I knew I was way off the ability (maybe grade 6 or 7 standard over 30 years before and a lot of rust) so could we work towards grade 8 first please! She thought I wasn't serious at first, and that with my job I wouldn't have time to practice, but now she knows otherwise so she takes me seriously in return. We are planning for grade 8 later in the year (no rush) and working on repertoire and technique in the meantime.

As for the grade 8 list C pieces I happen to think they are virtually all wonderful to hear when played by an expert (i.e. not me, yet at least): My plan all along has been to learn 2 from each list and drop the one I'm least good at 3 months before the exam. With that in mind I'm currently learning 2 pieces that aren't on the grade 8 list at all . . . and 2 that are - the Bach and the Gershwin. When I've got those (currently got them more ore less under the fingers but not completely accurate, or quite at full speed and not from memory and the expression is all wrong) I suspect it will the the Scarlatti and the Chopin, maybe the Clementi, one of the Beethoven and one of the Mozart, or maybe Schubert, and then there's the Rachmaninov, the Debussy and the Brahms . . . or maybe all of them - I have the music!

Anyway, list C is all wonderful stuff: Whatever you choose, enjoy it and good luck.

The Grieg and Chopin nocturnes are really nice. The Gershwin is also good, but i found i couldn't get anywhere with it The Vals Romantico was also on my shortlist In the end i've chosen the chopin.

I don't think you can go far wrong with whatever you pick on lists A and B.

I always thought list A was for baroque and earlier (hence Bach, Scarlatti, Handel), but I guess it is really for contrapuntal style, so the more modern works from Mendelsohn, and Shostakovich sneak in. Personally I'd pick either of the Scarlatti sonatas. Scarlatti manages to create so much from so few notes, and is geared up to being performed to an audience. He is also more pianistic than Bach (hence easier to memorize!!) and even though he was writing for Harpsichord, I think his sonatas sound much better on a modern piano. And he is just a better composer than Shostakovich, and probably better than Mendelsohn too. I am afraid that Soler is an unknown quantity.

List B is definitely for the core classical repertoire. Haydn, Mozart, Clementi, Beethoven, Schubert. I love Beethoven but I wouldn't play anything off this list for an exam. it is too difficult to get his superficialy "less diffficult" works to sound right. And the Clementi seems a bit lacking in this company. Mozart is always a safe cchoice, but I'd go for either of the Haydn pieces (sonatas Nos 50 and 52, first movements). If you have never heard them performed, then when you first play over them they seem a bit insipid. But played properly they are wonderful, and let you show of your finger technique, and strong sense of rhythm and tempo. There is a great recording of them by Glenn Gould on Sony that shows what you can make of them with strong dynamics, and a brisk non-legato (with plenty of other varieties of touch thrown in).

I am a bit out of my depth with list C.

I only know a handful of the pieces. My knowledge and repertoire gets rather thin once you get past the late 19th Century. The Rachmaninov prelude (Op. 32 No. 7) is probably one of Rachmaninov's easiest - no breakneck speeds or massive-stretch chords in this one, and only a few bars with nasty cross-rhythms. Trouble is I think it sounds like a bit of a dog's breakfast. The Chopin Nocturne Op 55 No. 1 is a beautiful piece, and looks and sounds harder than it is! But there is a lot of disagreement over its correct interpretation which makes it dangerous ground. The Brahm's Intermezzo on the other hand, does not look like much, but is surprisingly difficult - but at least it is short, and it sounds great. At first sight more diffficult, Debussy's interrupted Serenade is actually much easier. It is also good fun, and has a wide range of nice pianistic effects, and makes for a greater contrast with lists A and B


Good luck

I liked the Vals Romantico from Turina, the Nocturne from Chopin and the prelude from Bortkiewicz.

Tried 'If the Silver Bird could speak' from Eleanor ALberg; liked it but found it too difficult.

Good luck with your exam,

Nanning

Griegs Notturno is one of my favourite pieces, the r.h triplets and trills are thought to emulate the song of the Nightingale. Love the harmonies too. recently spent 15 quid on a CD of Moerans piano music, bit of a gamble, it was nice enough, but nothing really grabbed me about it enough for me to play it again.

I don't think it's been mentioned yet, but I did the Brahms on the alternative pieces for list C and it is so lovely
By the time I took the exam, I could have done with a breack from the Bach (list A), was sick to death of the Mozart (list B), but I don't think I would ever grow tired of playing the Brahms.
It is quite tricky and I know that there is still a lot theat I could, and hopefully will, do with it to get it to a level where I'm completely satisfied with it, but I enjoyed playing it so much.

If you aren't familiar with much of what is on the C list, why not use this as a perfect time to do a bit of exploring? There are some truly beautiful pieces on the C list which would also make valuable additions to your repertoire, perfect for those moments when someone asks you out of the blue to play something.

You could start by obtaining the ABRSM grade 8 CD and listening to all the pieces to see which ones you fancy. Then you might work on three or four of your favorites simultaneously and see which one turns out to suit you the best for the exam. You will emerge a more rounded musician from the experience.

Here are my votes for the C list:

Most Beautiful: Brahms
Easiest overall: Grieg Notturno
Best Nocturne: Chopin
Ugliest: Alberga
Most Disappointing: Rachmaninov
Cheesiest but fun: Bortkiewicz
Most obscure: Bortkiewicz
Most Interesting: Prokofiev
Most Difficult: Poulenc Toccata
Best Dance: Martinu
Best Jazz Style: Gershwin
Best Spanish: Albeniz
Best Spanish sounding, but not: Debussy
Best French: Ravel
Best wide chords: Turina
Best American sound: Copland

As you can see, I still can't decide!

No doubt about it, The Brahms is harder than it looks, especially the 1st una corda part. It took many hours to get the piece right. But it's very rewarding once learned, and i love playing it. I also think that playing the Grieg Notturno well, and creating the right atmosphere, is quite hard enough too.

The Poulenc toccata is great fun! I've been enjoying myself learning it for about 1/2 a month. It's probably my favourite for the List C, alongside the Chopin and Turina. I'm just learning it for fun though (i took my grade 8 in 2005 and atcl last november). I might play it for my A level music recital, however, together with Poulenc's novelette no. 1 and no. 2. I'm calling the set, "Two novelettes and a Toccata".

The only downside is that the scores for the Poulenc cost quite a bit (I bought the entire 'Trois Pieces'), so you ought to be sure for your selection.

Thanks for the replies, everyone

Some people take great decisions, whereas others have decisions thrust upon them. I ventured up to my local music shop this afternoon, and the only list C pieces they had were the Grieg and the Debussy. Neither work particularly inspired me, and as they were more expensive than the book of selected pieces, I bought that instead.

Having played stumbled through them this afternoon, I'm very taken with the Martinu. It's a close run thing with the Turnina though, but the Martinu has fewer huge chords. I can nevertheless see various pens being sent flying from the top end of my teacher's piano!

From list A, I quite like the Scarlatti (partly because it isn't a fugue with an outrageous number of voices!), in spite of it having chords with more notes than I have fingers but will be happy with the JSB if my teacher insists I have to play a fugue.

As for list B, I'm inclining towards the Beethoven Op31/1, although I quite like the Mozart K309 as well. Neither of these are in the book of selected pieces, which will be a new experience as I've only ever taken one book into the exam room for previous piano exams.

I also discovered that the local music shop don't have me down on their list of clarinet teachers, which explains alot...

Yay! lets hear it for Scarlatti! Once you've learned one of his sonatas you'll be hooked.

But now I am rather worried about you. You haven't lost a finger from your left hand have you?



Great choice. Shame it's only the first movement. The second and third are even better. There was a TV program late the other night about the real life Victorian behind "Diary of a Nobody" and the second movement of Op 31 No 1 was used as background music.

<counts fingers on left hand> No, I still have five. There are some moments in the Scarlatti where there are six LH notes at once

I like C4

Hello,
I just wondered how all the grade 8 pieces are going, and what you've chosen?
I've been chosing my grade 8 pieces too, and I like the scarlatti from the A list too, but i also like the alternative scarlatti, but havent made up my mind yet.
From the B list, i love the mozart piece from the book, and it's not overly difficult, but i will probably play the K309, because i love this piece too.
For the C list, martinu and the turina, and the copland, but i love the Grieg, and the Gershwin, and will probably do the Grieg piece.

Goodluck with your grade 8!

Jacob.

May I sidetrack (only a little) and ask how many people actually start by choosing all their exam pieces at once?
I've always started on one then added another once I have mostly learnt as far as notes go at least so at later grades there would be a few months between choices. (I'd be playing other things too, not just one at a time but mostly with staggered starts)

My son has been encouraged to explore at least 2 or 3 pieces from each of the lists over a period of a few months. Some would be suggested by the teacher as either good for improving some aspect of his technique, or good for showing off his strengths. Others would be pieces he fancied trying.

Then he and his teacher have chosen the final exam pieces together at around the exam entry date, and polished them up. Sometimes the piece which you like most to listen to does not turn out to be the one which you can play best, so I think this is a good strategy.

I've got the Bach from list A and the Gershwin from list C almost under the fingers, but have every intention of learning one of the Scarlatti's and the Chopin as well (all to the point where I could perform them without the music as if for an exam) before committing to one from each list. That just leaves one (or two) from list B: K322? K 309? One of the Beethoven's? I'm inclining to the Clementi or the Schubert on the grounds of "the road less travelled" (and I already have the music, which rules out only the Haydn) but who knows? The route you travel to get there must be scenic or it isn't worth the fare.

The Schubert is a bit long, but it is very, very beautiful and extremely rewarding to learn.

I started working for gr8 over a year ago and started out with completely different pieces to the ones I'm now playing. I found that it's only after a bit of playing of different pieces that you can decide which is the best for you. I'm doing the Chopin from list C and although I love Chopin this is proving to be a bit of a pain. I'm finding it hard to know how to play it as my teacher and I have different ideas, along with every recording sounding completely different! Good luck!